Curriculum and Instruction Notes

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II. CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

  1. INSTRUCTIONAL PHILOSOPHY: Provide a thorough description of the proposed Instructional Program and the underlying theory that drives it. How does the proposed Instructional Program align with the critical educational needs of the population of students you propose to serve? Include an explanation of what students should know and be able to do as well as the rigorous intellectual habits of mind, essential skills, knowledge and attributes they will posses upon matriculation that will prepare them to be successful adults in the 21st Century.

Carson Education and SocialActionAcademyis dedicated to creating a rigorous academic community designed to prepare students for study and work in the 21st century with a special emphasis on education and social justice. All students will graduate CSU and UC ready, having matriculated through the A-G requirements and having had opportunities to take Honors and AP courses.

HS teachers and staff operate with certain core beliefs:

  • All students are capable of learning at a high level
  • Students learn best when instruction is rigorous and individualized
  • To make learning relevant, teachers must build relationships with students, encouraging them to access prior knowledge, and draw upon their real-world experiences
  • Data is a necessary tool to evaluate student learning
  • Thematic, interdisciplinary curriculum allows students to make lasting connections that bridge subject matter with the real world

Philosophically, HS teachers and staff see Education as

  • fundamental to a well-functioning Democracy
  • a crucial component to creating civically engaged citizens
  • creates access and equity in society

How does the proposed Instructional Program align with the critical educational needs of the population of students you propose to serve?

Many students are designated as AT RISK, according to the middle school data three factors
Motivation:
Grades:
Attendance: below 85%
CST scores: basic, below basic, far below basic
Socio-economic: title 1 funding
Based on data at CHS

Relevance: connect learning and subject matter to real world, personal experience and career
Differentiated: multiple intelligences
Personalization: student teacher relationship via looping, field trips, team building, advisory
Intervention class: build skills to address academic deficiencies
After school tutoring:

Pedagogical Foundations of our Curriculum

HS wide strategies:
  • Rigorous, Standards Based Curriculum
  • Common Rubrics for Writing and Speaking
  • Common Assessments
  • Lessons and Culminating Tasks designed around Bloom’s Taxonomy
  • Interactive Notebooks: to teach students organizational skills
  • Portfolio System
  • Project Based Learning
  • Differentiated Instruction
  • Cooperative Learning
  • Data Driven Intervention

What Students Will Know:

  • Articulate complex ideas through writing, speaking, and visual, non-textual representation
  • Ask Questions
  • Utilize technology to research, analyze and present ideas
  • Think critically about content
  • Critically analyze and evaluate arguments
  • Recognize community and social issues and create solutions
  • Problem solve and work effectively in group settings

Upon Graduation

ATCA: develop lesson plans according to state standards
Utilize SDAIE strategies in lesson plans
Create lessons that take students through Bloom’s taxonomy
Build off experience working with youth

Habits of Mind:
  1. Creating, imagining, innovating – Try a different way.
  2. Thinking about your thinking (metacognition) – Know your knowing.
  3. Questioning and problem posing – How do you know?
  4. Applying past knowledge to new situations – Use what you learn.
  5. Remaining open to continuous learning – Learn from experiences.